From the Editor

Is your ‘dream clinic’ worth $1,000?

The University of Cincinnati has received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something great for psychiatry, and we invite you to share our dream.

We have received a $30 million donation to build the Craig and Frances Lindner Center of HOPE, a state-of-the-science psychiatric treatment center, on a 100-acre site north of Cincinnati. The center—with adult and adolescent inpatient beds and integrated outpatient services—will be operated by the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati. Current Psychiatry Deputy Editor Paul E. Keck, Jr., MD, professor and vice chairman for research at the university’s department of psychiatry, has been named psychiatrist-in-chief.

Whom do we consult for the most practical, creative ideas to design the center? Current Psychiatry readers, of course!

Have you complained about programs or facilities you inherited and dreamed of things you might do differently if you could start from scratch? If so, please send us:

suggestions for innovative programs we might implement

ideas to make our center clinically and financially successful

ways to improve the “usual” hospital and outpatient programs.

Please e-mail your ideas to paul.keck@uc.edu. We will award $1,000 for the best suggestion received by Dec. 1, 2005. Dr. Keck and I will determine the winner, with deputy editor Lois E. Krahn, MD, casting a tie-breaking vote if necessary. We will post all useful or thought-provoking suggestions on www.currentpsychiatry.com.

An early refill request for psychostimulants for your college-age patient

﻿Mr. R, age 18, who has been taking amphetamine/dextroamphetamine, 10 mg/d, twice a day, for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder since he was age 10, comes to see you shortly after beginning college asking to refill earlier than usual. He says his symptoms are worse since beginning college and he is finding it difficult to focus in class and keep up with the heavy course work. He says he has been taking an extra 10 mg when he “needs the extra boost.” He asks for an early refill and increased dosage. How do you proceed?

Switch to an extended release formulation and increase the dosage to 30 mg/d

Switch to lisdexamfetamine, 30 mg/d

Prescribe amphetamine/dextroamphetamine, 10 mg, on an as-needed basis

Tell Mr. R to take his current prescription as prescribed and discuss the dangers of stimulant abuse. Reassess his symptoms at the next visit.